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Welcome to the Steep Stuff Podcast, your source for all things Short Trail
278 Episodes
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Send us a text You press play for stoke, but stay for substance. We sit down with legendary endurance athlete and coach Travis Macy to unpack ski mountaineering’s Olympic debut, the rise of Skimo Gold as “SportsCenter for Skimo,” and how smart storytelling can turn niche talents into household names. From the first shotgun blast at Leadville to adventure racing across continents, Travis connects the dots between joyful beginnings and professional systems that actually grow a sport. We dig in...
Send us a text The mountain weekend Flagstaff has been waiting for just showed up with big legs and bigger lungs. We sit down with race director Aaron Barber to unpack how Flagstaff Sky Peaks evolved from a “nice race in the pines” into a full three-day festival at Arizona Snowbowl, built around steep ski runs, high-altitude ridgelines, and a finish-line scene right by the lodge. From a Friday uphill lung-burner to Saturday’s slate with a 2,500-foot opening climb, fixed-time vert loops, and d...
Send us a text The voice you hear at the steepest start lines has a story—and a system. We sit down with Goldy, the announcer behind the Cirque Series and the force behind the Beehive Bandwagon, to unpack how a kid who DJed camp dances became the guy who turns finish lines into goosebumps. From a fateful Red Bull gig to years across X Games, Dew Tour, and trail races, he shares how preparation, empathy, and restraint shape the sound of an unforgettable race day. We explore the craft that mos...
Send us a text Want to know how an elite mountain runner designs the very supplements he trusts on race day? We sit down with Momentous VP of Innovation, Matt Chorney, to connect the dots between steep trail performance, clean ingredient sourcing, and the certifications that actually protect athletes. Matt’s story stretches from New Hampshire’s rugged roots to Jackson’s endless access, and he brings that same blend of grit and curiosity to building products that stand up in pro and collegiate...
Send us a text A high-stakes relay, a new Olympic sport, and two athletes who refused to blink. We sit down with Cam Smith to unpack how he and Anna Gibson qualified Team USA for the ski mountaineering mixed relay—beating Canada when it mattered most—and how an underdog mindset became their superpower. Cam’s story delivers a rare inside look at Olympic prep when your sport is making its debut: recruitment gambles, selection races, and the art of saying no to media so you can say yes to traini...
Send us a text What does it take to race on the edge, fix your flaws, and build a season that holds up under pressure? We dive deep with Mason Copi, fresh off a blistering run at the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships and a domestic campaign that turned him from underrated to undeniable. Mason opens up about starting fast when the course rewards it, working the early road section, and the moment when cramps hit yet belief held. You’ll hear how teammates on the course and a fired-u...
Send us a text A world champion who won’t let algorithms define her worth—Grayson Murphy joins us for a candid, sharp, and hopeful conversation about racing, health, and the future of trail running. From life in Bozeman to the first time grizzlies changed a solo run, we open with place and presence, then dive straight into how she built Wild Strides Paper Co, why multiple identities make better athletes, and how part-time sustainability work keeps her grounded in real-world impact. Grayson b...
Send us a text A young ultra runner with a mountain kid heart and a pro’s mindset—Coleman Cragun brings the heat. We dig into how he went from SUU walk-on to stacking top finishes at Canyons, Broken Arrow, Speedgoat, and Mammoth in his first year of ultras, and how mentorship from trail legend Hayden Hawks is shaping every decision. The honesty of their training partnership, from blunt fitness assessments to choosing the hardest race fields, has helped Coleman skip the usual trial-and-error a...
Send us a text Money is moving up the mountain, and the Northeast is ready for it. We sit down with Tom Hooper of 603 Endurance to unpack how a new partnership with Marathon Sports unlocks bigger prize purses, stronger production, and a smarter sponsor model that gives each race its own brand identity. Sunapee Scramble returns as the U.S. Mountain Running Championship with a $30,000 purse from Brooks and Team USA selection on the line. Loon Mountain leans into its legendary Upper Walking Boss...
Send us a text Trail running deserves sharper storytelling than recycled podium posts. We open the books on Steep Stuff: what we botched in 2025, what finally clicked, and how we’re going big on short trail in 2026. James and guest host Francesco get specific about the pivot from clunky Zoom reels to clean Riverside workflows, a fresh brand identity, and a quality-first mindset that actually scales. The result is a clear plan: show up at Broken Arrow, The Rut, Cirque Series stops, and champio...
Send us a text A late start, a canceled senior season, and a move to Bozeman turned Lucy Kolpa from a soccer defender into one of trail running’s most compelling rising names. We dive into how she traded splits for summits, built a durable engine without a coach, and learned to treat races as a celebration of big mountain days rather than a verdict on her identity. Lucy opens up about the moments that shaped her: walking on to DIII cross country with no high school PRs, discovering how sleep...
Send us a text The spark wasn’t love at first stride. Tayler Tuttle Peavey once hated running, chose softball, and struggled through PE miles—then found a coach who spoke the language of physiology and a path that led from Georgia to Colorado and, ultimately, to USATF national titles on the trails. We sit down to unpack how a hip labrum surgery, a health-first rebuild, and a sustainable coaching approach turned doubt into momentum and a breakout 2025. Tayler takes us inside the pivotal trans...
Send us a text Best of 2025 - Ryan Becker Fan Favorite Episode Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod
Send us a text Best of 2025 - Emma Cook Clarke Fan Favorite Episode Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod
Send us a text Best of 2025 - Jane Maus Fan Favorite Episode Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod
Send us a text Best of 2025 - Kyle Richardson Fan Favorite Episode Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod
Send us a text Best of 2025 - Bailey Kowalczyk Fan Favorite Episode Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod
Send us a text Follow James on IG - @jameslauriello Follow the Steep Stuff Podcast on IG - @steepstuff_pod
Send us a text A world-level skyrace is returning to U.S. soil, and the path runs straight up a rugged Olympic Mountains summit. We sit down with race director and media voice Mathias Eichler to unpack how Beast of Big Creek became the only U.S. stop on the Skyrunner World Series, what ISF course certification really requires, and how you scale a steep, technical route without breaking the wilderness that makes it magic. Mathias shares the full arc: inheriting a beloved local race, modernizi...
Send us a text The ache that won’t sit still, the quad-dominant stride, the back that tightens after miles on trail—none of it is random. We invited Dr. Sean Rimmer, PT, DPT of Run Potential PT, to unpack how the pelvis truly drives running: three-plane motion, rotational loading, and the elastic recoil that makes a stride feel effortless. When the pelvis stops moving, hips overwork, nerves get irritated, and the system loses its spring. Sean explains how to spot the difference between hip, p...
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